TEXAS NEIGHBORS | WINTER 2018 By Gary Joiner TFB Radio Network Manager Don Sitton lost his vision as a newborn. High oxygen levels in an incubator cost him and his two sib-lings their ability to see. Despite the challenge, Sitton never lost sight of his desire to be a broadcaster. Since 1989, his voice and tal-ent have occupied the airwaves of KPET-FM 105.1 and KPET-AM 690 in Lamesa. His work has been noticed. Tex-as Farm Bureau (TFB) recognized Sitton last December with its Ex-A voice for rural Texas cellence in Journalism Award for outstanding coverage of Texas ag-ricultural issues. Sitton was nomi-nated for the award by the Dawson County Farm Bureau board of di-rectors in the category market of under 50,000 in population. “I feel very honored, humbled and blessed to receive this award. I love what I do. If I hadn’t been blind, I probably would have been a farm-er,” Sitton said when accepting the award at TFB’s 84th Annual Meet-ing in Frisco. Sitton manages and co-owns KPET Radio. Dawson County Farm Bureau noted KPET-AM was the first station to join the TFB Radio Network as an affiliate when the network launched in 2002. “When I got to Texas Tech, I said I wanted to major in broadcasting, and they said, ‘we’ve never had a blind man in broadcasting.’ I said, ‘well, you do now,’” recalled Sitton. “With the help of God and a lot of people along the way, I got into broadcasting, and I’ve been doing it for more than 40 years.” Sitton, a Dawson County Farm Bureau member, said he is honored to speak to farmers and ranchers MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR every day on the radio. Sitton’s re-porting on community affairs, ag-riculture, Farm Bureau and other activities has earned him creden-tials as both a journalist and an advocate for rural Texas. Dawson County Farm Bureau called Sitton an asset to the com-munity. “Farmers and ranchers are down-to-earth people. They’re people who work hard. They get up every morning and go out there,” Sitton said. “I just appreci-ate the honor. I feel very honored and blessed.” With the help of God and a lot of people along the way, I got into broadcasting, and I’ve been doing it for more than 40 years. —Don Sitton WWW.TEXASFARMBUREAU.ORG